The Coast for All

The California Coastal Commision Whale Tail License Plate and
POCO Tax Fund

The California Coastal Commission works to protect and enhance California’s coast and ocean for present and future generations. The main ways the CCC generates funds to protect the coast and give out grants is through the sales of Whale Tail license plates and through the Protect Our Coasts and Oceans voluntary tax fund.

The challenge of this campaign was to drive sales of plates and donations through paid marketing and earned media.

The angle I found most effective in my brainstorming session was the idea of the deep spiritual beauty and nostalgia we feel when on the coast. Driving home the importance of preserving this natural resource and destination for future generations and the wildlife that lives there was key. Remembering those special moments tugs at the heart strings and helps to encourage sales and donations.

The previous campaign for the POCO tax fund was centered around “Check the Coast”, however in the actual donation process, I found there was no actual check box. Instead, I showed the actual line item from the tax form to really help the consumer visualize what the process will look like, eliminating any confusion. Integrating a dry and boring tax line item with a warm and nostalgic photo also gives a nice contrast, showing the real world reverberations of these donations.